Traverse City East Side Social District wins $100,000 placemaking grant

The East Side Social District is getting $100,000 to turn its slip-lane setup along East Eighth Street into a safer, easier-to-use public space before the summer season peaks. Traverse City won the Community Placemaking Grant from Project for Public Spaces, with support from General Motors, for work aimed at accessibility, pedestrian safety and stronger business activity on the city’s east side.

City materials say the district, established in 2024, has helped create a popular commons near the intersection of East Eighth Street and Garfield Avenue, but its temporary configuration still leaves gaps in connectivity. The city says the project is meant to improve safety, comfort and access while supporting expanded programming and more business activity in the area.

That effort moved into public input Wednesday, May 6, when city leaders and planners held a workshop at Common Good Bakery, 1115 East Eighth Street, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The session was designed to collect ideas from residents and stakeholders on how the East Side should develop next. People who could not attend were directed to a survey as the city moved into the first phase of its partnership with Project for Public Spaces.

The grant could make a practical difference for pedestrians and wheelchair users who navigate the east side today. City materials point to accessibility challenges, pedestrian safety concerns and limited connectivity between both sides of the street. The planned improvements are meant to help people move through the district more comfortably, visit local businesses without relying on cars and spend more time in the area’s outdoor setting.

Traverse City commissioners approved the city’s first social district on July 1, 2024, in a 6-1 vote. The final boundaries were scaled back from an earlier proposal and centered on the Eighth and Garfield area, including Tank Space on 8th, Oakwood Proper Burgers and Common Good Bakery. The NoMi Collective, on the west side of Garfield and Eighth, was excluded from the approved district.

Under the management plan, the district and commons areas operate seven days a week from May 1 through October 31, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. The city says people 21 and older may consume alcoholic beverages sold by qualified establishments within the designated zone, while all ages are welcome for food, beverages and social connection.

Project for Public Spaces said Traverse City was one of three organizations selected in its 2026 Community Placemaking Grants round. The projects are expected to be completed by November 2026, giving city leaders a narrow window to turn the east-side social district from a seasonal gathering spot into a more accessible civic space. Mayor Amy Shamroe said the award reflects the power of a grassroots effort to create a gathering space for locals, by locals. Planning Director Shawn Winter said the workshop would help shape a place that reflects how people want to gather, connect and experience the area.